In last weeks discussion I was a bit shocked by how many students were unaware of black face, its history and social connotation. I understand that some people are educated in conservative areas and are perhaps sheltered from some of the more negative aspect of American history, but I am surprised that so many people can make it more than halfway through their college education without being exposed it it.
The reactions from our class made me wonder what such a lack of exposure to such an important example of minority stereotypes in media means in a broader context as well as what will result from when so many people who have been sheltered from this history are planning to become part of the media itself.
I would guess that such a situation will relate to more incidents (perhaps like the taiwanese advertisement we discussed) where people lack the sensitivity to avoid the stereotypes and images that were depicted when blackface was commonplace.
I also am concerned that such unawareness furthers these racial stereotypes. Right now I am also taking a class that studies african american film, and have been studying the way that african americans were represented in early film and media, with a special focus on the tom, coon, mammy, buck and mulatto characters that were most common. Learning about these stereotypes is making me increasingly aware that while they are less severe now, the media is in no way devoid of them.
My concern is that if people are not educated about the history and context of these characters, it becomes difficult if not impossible for them to asses films, television )and really any sort of media that depicts these stereotypes) and understand that much of todays media still propagates age old stereotypes and more than often misrepresents minorities in a negative and demeaning light.
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